San Antonio – The desire to help is spreading quickly during the coronavirus pandemic.
Quynh Nguyen said a social media post asking for donations of masks and other supplies spread quickly. With the help of the Asian Real Estate Association of America, volunteers and local businesses, the group was able to donate trunk fulls of masks, hand sanitizers and gloves to four area hospitals and clinics.
“It’s just the Vietnamese community coming together. We’re trying to help the nurses with all the masks we can find,” Nguyen said.
People who own nail salons all around Bexar County got in touch with them, offering their masks and supplies since they don’t currently need them because of the closure order.
“They donated the very last box of their masks. They won’t have anything when the business is open again,” Nguyen said.
But even when they were out, some ordered more supplies from Houston and on the internet to continue to give, she said.
“We also placed an order for 20,000 masks we bought from Vietnam, and they are on their way here,” Nguyen said.
Fabric masks were also made and donated to the cause. Nguyen said the smiles on the faces of the nurses she saw when the supplies were delivered were enough thanks.
Over the last two weeks, Nguyen's phone hasn’t stopped ringing with community members who want to give. And while they’ve exhausted most masks and supplies from their contacts, owners of some Asian restaurants have asked if they can provide food for hospital and clinic workers.
Here’s a list of some of the businesses that helped in the cause:
New Star Nails, Venice Nails and Spa, Valencia Nails and Spa, LV nails lounge, Quarry Nails Bar, Luminous Nails, Lux Nails Bar, Diva Nails, Pho Vy, Pho Garden, Zero Degrees Restaurant.
Click here to learn how you can help.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
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